When Brianna dreams, she sees a flash of golden hair, a flicker of auburn feathers, a glimpse of the sky and sea, fragments that make no sense to her once she wakes.
When she visits the neighboring town, she finds rumors and stories about a woman with the voice of an angel and another who danced on air.
She ignores them.
And part of her is aware that she'll only be able to do so for so long, but she's not ready to deal with any of that just yet. Because when she puts the pieces together, it starts to seem like they're all part of a fairy tale. One full of magic and mythical beings and the return of loved ones lost.
Brianna secretly hates fairy tales.
As a child, she sighed along with her friends at all things romantic, swooned at displays of tender affection, and grew starry-eyed at passionate declarations… but there was always a part of her that hated how unrealistic they were, how they inspired shows and books that give too many people ridiculous ideas on love and do absolutely nothing to teach people how to do and be better.
So when Kick and Gunther hand her a fancy book full of "research", her first instinct is to chuck it on the ground and stomp on to her hearts content. But she likes to think she's more mature these days and controls the urge to do so.
"I don't have words for you two." Brianna deadpans when she's finished. Their expressions don't change, like they're expecting her to have a sudden revelation and start believing in sirens and mermaids and magic-
If anything, this just proves those women weren't a figment of her imagination and that she's the only sane one in this group. They say there's at least one person out in the world who looks like you, so the same can be applied to her friends.
Brianna resolutely ignores the memory of something more whenever she saw those women.
"I don't want to sound rude, or like I'm making fun of your grief, but seriously?" She holds the book up, "If anyone else finds this, they're gonna send you to a psychiatric ward."
Kick just sighs like she's the irrational one. Jerk. "Listen, I know it sounds crazy-"
"That's an understatement."
"-but what other explanation is there for the odd things that've happened since you first saw those women? Since Gunther and I saw them?"
Gunther nods in agreement, "You've gotta admit Brianna, the weather's been too bizarre and so far it seems to happen when we either see them or on dates that bring back bad memories.
She inwardly sighs. Because he has a point, and she's only able to ignore everything for so long.
"Let's say I actually believe you, what do you plan on doing about all this?"
The look on their faces almost makes her wish she never asked.